“The details I learned of those purported meetings were extensive: I was informed that UCLA and SoFi representatives had held multiple discussions and meetings about a potential move, including details such as proposed seating configurations, revenue-sharing models, and the use of UCLA’s relocation as part of a mixed-use and residential development project associated with SoFi Stadium,” said Rose Bowl General Manager Jens Weiden according to the document. “I even learned that a plan was being actively developed and that UCLA was preparing for an imminent public announcement.”
Hollywood Park, is a sprawling mixed-use district rising around SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The privately funded development is being spearheaded by Los Angeles Rams and SoFi Stadium owner Stanley Kroenke, who serves as the master developer.
The 300-acre project is being built on the site of the former Hollywood Park racetrack and is being designed as a “city within a city,” featuring thousands of planned residences, extensive retail and dining space, entertainment venues, parks and public plazas, office and creative workspaces, hotels, and a forthcoming film-production campus.
Kroenke and SoFi Stadium have been added to the City’s lawsuit.
Weiden became aware of UCLA’s intent to leave the stadium during a conversation about the university’s preferred ticket-vendor for its home football games.
During a conversation with a high-level employee within the UCLA Athletics Department, the employee expressed concern about RBOC deferring and changing to UCLA’s preferred ticketing vendor, “only for UCLA Football to ultimately leave.”
“The prior conversation obviously caused me concern,” said Weiden.
In early February, Weiden sought clarity from senior UCLA leadership and secured a Feb. 3, lunch meeting with UCLA Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Stephen Agostini, according to the court filing.
During that meeting, Agostini told him UCLA Football was weighing its options regarding the Rose Bowl, a position Weiden described in the filing as unexpected given the long-term agreement and ongoing stadium improvements.
Weiden said he invited Agostini and his staff to tour the Rose Bowl to review renovation work meant to enhance UCLA’s gameday experience, but despite multiple attempts to coordinate schedules, the site visit was never arranged.
According to the filing, Weiden first became aware of the possibility of an imminent relocation between late 2024 and early 2025, based on what he characterized as “multiple credible sources.” UCLA has played in the Rose Bowl since 1982.
Around the same time, according to the filing, the RBOC learned from UCLA athletics personnel that representatives from the university had engaged in multiple discussions with executives at SoFi Stadium and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
The document names venue president Kevin Demoff as part of those conversations and says the conversations included potential seating configurations, revenue-sharing models and the possibility of announcing the move as early as the 2025 season.
Weiden wrote that UCLA had never asserted that RBOC or Pasadena were in any form of default under the operating agreement.
The lack of clarity in UCLA’s future at the stadium has jeopardized season ticket renewals, undermining revenue forecasting for upcoming seasons. Weiden wrote that donors with outstanding pledge payments have also requested guidance on whether to continue contributing, given doubts about whether UCLA Football will play at the Rose Bowl next year.
The uncertainty also threatens multi-year sponsorship arrangements that rely on UCLA’s presence to secure financial commitments.
The RBOC’s operations depend heavily on long-range planning, and the potential loss of UCLA — even temporarily — disrupts financial models that support capital improvements and event scheduling. The declaration argues that without certainty about UCLA’s intent, RBOC cannot negotiate sponsorships or premium seat contracts that typically span several years.
“Without knowing whether UCLA Football will play its home games at the Rose Bowl Stadium for the upcoming seasons, RBOC would be deprived of the ability to pursue and secure those deals.”
Pasadena and the RBOC sent a notice-of-breach letter to UCLA on March 11.
“Unfortunately, we understand that UCLA has been engaging in talks surrounding a potential move to SoFi stadium,” according to the letter which is addressed to Stephen Agostini, vice chancellor/CFO and UCLA Athletic Director Martin Jarmond.
“Our clients have been told, including in recent conversations, that those talks are only ‘preliminary.’ But ‘preliminary’ or not, UCLA and the Regents should be aware that even discussions about moving UCLA home games away from the Rose Bowl Stadium amount to a breach of UCLA’s contractual obligations.”
The City has invested more than $180 million in renovating and upgrading the stadium based on UCLA’s requests. The upgrades and future plans required long-term financing, including bonds ultimately paid by taxpayers.
Those plans, which include major end-zone developments and long-term seating enhancements, were structured around the assumption that UCLA would continue to anchor the stadium’s calendar.
“Even an ‘attempt’ by UCLA to terminate the Agreement exposes both the University and the Regents of the University of California to significant liability,” the letter states.
The letter is signed by Attorney Nima H. Mohebbi.
UCLA denied any breach in a written response later that month but agreed to an in-person meeting.
After the initial disclosures, subsequent discussions gave the impression that operations were returning to “business as usual,” with the parties continuing to collaborate on stadium projects such as south-field renovations and premium seating plans, according to the declaration.
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